Lectionary Readings
Genesis 9:8–17
God’s covenant with Noah: I will never again flood the whole earth.
Psalm 25:1–10
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord; do not remember my sin.
1 Peter 3:18–22
The flood of former days prefigures the sacrament of baptism.
Mark 1:9–15
After his baptism, Jesus is tested in the wilderness for forty days.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
The praise we come to share is praise of thanksgiving.
In our worship, we hold God’s love close to our hearts.
We desire to surround ourselves with community.
As our songs echo, our prayers rise,
claiming God as our strength.
Prayer of the Day
You are the creator of the cosmos,
and yet you tend to our every need.
With your voice you plant the seed of your will in our hearts,
where Christ waters it with an unending flow of love
and the Spirit tends it as we grow ever stronger in your ways.
We pray that, like a seedling, we might reach for the light
and stretch our roots deep into the soil
of your blessed foundation. Amen.
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Thanksgiving For Baptism
At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the mercy you so freely offer us
through the grace of our baptism—
safe passage through the sea,
justice rolling down like water,
deliverance from sin and death forever.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
teach us to love and serve you faithfully
and reconcile us to you and to one another
as members of one, living body;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
In the name of Christ, I urge you:
Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20
Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.
In the season of Lent, O God,
we say lofty words about renewing our spiritual disciplines,
journeying with you to the cross,
or denying ourselves material wants for the good of the soul.
Forgive us, O God, if our actions are in vain:
if we are concerned with the good of the soul
rather than the good of your people;
if we have twisted this season of penitence
into a reason for praise or judgment;
if we are so preoccupied with the sins of the world
that we cannot recognize and confess the sins of our own lives.
Forgive us, O God, and wash us in your mercy.
Forgive us, O God, and free us to try again.
Lifting water from the font:
Listen, the time has come at last.
Look, now is the day of salvation!
2 Corinthians 6:2
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Gracious God, our way in the wilderness,
guide us by your Word through these forty days,
and minister to us with your Holy Spirit,
so that we may reformed,
restored, and renewed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15
After the readings:
We proclaim Christ crucified—
the wisdom and power of God.
Thanks be to God.
1 Corinthians 1:23–25
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
we bend our knees
and lift up our hearts,
giving glory to God forever. Amen.
Philippians 2:9–11
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
Season of Lent
The reconciling work of Jesus
was the supreme crisis in the life of humankind.
His cross and resurrection become personal crisis
and present hope for women and men
when the gospel is proclaimed and believed.
In this experience,
the Spirit brings God’s forgiveness to all,
moves people to respond in faith,
repentance, and obedience,
and initiates the new life in Christ.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.21
Prayers of the People
Out of the ashes, up from the dust
we bring our prayers to God, saying:
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.
God of all mercy, we pray for the church . . .
Bring us through every obstacle and trial
so that we might be a living sign
of the new life you offer to all.
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.
God of all mercy, we pray for the world . . .
Put an end to war and destruction.
Let the people of every nation
learn your ways of grace and peace.
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.
God of all mercy, we pray for this community . . .
Help us to share our food with the hungry,
to welcome the homeless, clothe the naked,
and never to hide from neighbors in need.
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.
God of all mercy, we pray for loved ones . . .
Look with healing and compassion
on those who are troubled by sickness or sin.
Deliver them from every evil.
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.
Restore in us, O God, the joy of your salvation;
renew and sustain our spirits,
so that we may live according to your will;
through Jesus Christ, our hope and strength. Amen.
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
Jesus says: Where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
Matthew 6:21
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
You have shown us, O God,
the sacrifice that you desire.
Now use these gifts—
and use our lives—
to liberate the oppressed,
to break the bonds of injustice,
to feed the hungry,
welcome the poor,
and unite the human family;
all in the name and for the sake
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Isaiah 58:6–7
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
You established your everlasting covenant with all living creatures,
setting your bow in the clouds as a sign of your promise
that the waters would never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Baptized by John in the Jordan, anointed by your Holy Spirit,
and tested in the wilderness, Jesus came to proclaim the good news
that the time was fulfilled, and your kingdom had come near.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation (e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Save us through the water of baptism in Christ Jesus;
wash us clean from sin and deliver us from death
so that we might be redeemed and reconciled to you.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
At the communion table:
Holy God, we give you thanks
that you have claimed us as your own
and nourished us in this meal
as members of Christ’s body.
By the work of your Spirit within us
give us the grace to glorify you
as one, living body in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Corinthians 6:15–20
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
May the steadfast love of God,
the abundant grace of Jesus Christ,
and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit
be with you this day and always. Amen.
Psalm 51:1, 11
Remember the words of the Lord Jesus:
If any wish to be my disciples
let them take up the cross
and follow me. Amen.
Mark 8:34
Noah’s Ark
Palatine Chapel, Palermo, Italy, 1140
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- Forty Days and Forty Nights (G) AUS DER TIEFE RUFE ICH GTG 167
- God of the Sparrow (OE) ROEDER GTG 22 O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee (O) MARYTON GTG 738
- O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go (O) ST. MARGARET GTG 833
WORD
- Baptized in Water (EG) BUNESSAN GTG 482
- Down Galilee’s Slow Roadways (G) WEST MAIN GTG 164
- Jesus, Tempted in the Desert (G) GENEVA LUYH 115, EBENEZER STF 2105
- When We Are Tested (G) ANGELS OF HEALING GTG 783
EUCHARIST
- As the Wind Song (G) WAIRUA TAPU GTG 292
- Bread of Life from Heaven (E) ARGENTINE SANTO/BREAK NOW THE BREAD GTG 497
- Lord, We Have Come at Your Own Invitation (EG) O QUANTA QUALIA GTG 503
- You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy! (OEG) WAYFARING STRANGER GTG 437
SENDING
- Day of Delight and Beauty Unbounded (G) IN DIR IST FREUDE GTG 242
- I Want Jesus to Walk with Me (G) WALK WITH ME GTG 775
- Our God, Our Help in Ages Past (O) ST. ANNE GTG 687
- O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High (EG) DEO GRACIAS GTG 618
Psalms and Canticles
Metrical
- Lord, to You My Soul Is Lifted [GENEVAN 25]; GTG 420, PH 178, PAS 25D, LUYH 625
- Lord, I Gladly Trust [REDHEAD 76]; PAS 25B, LUYH 354
- Lord, unto You We Lift Our Hearts [LM with repeat (PARK STREET)]; SGP 39
Responsorial
- To You, O Lord, I Lift My Soul; PAS 25A (pointed vv.), SSS 575/6 (with Spanish translation), G3 39 (through-composed vv.)
- Lord, You Are My Strength; PSA 23
- To You, O God, I Lift Up My Soul; PAS 25C
Organ Music
- “Praise and Thanksgiving,” The Essential Dale Wood, Dale Wood, LOR (M)
- “In You Is Gladness,” Six General Hymn Improvisations, Set 1, Michael Burkhardt, MSM (M)
- “Ton-y-Botel,” The Organist’s Library, vol. 69, Thomas John Williams, LOR (ME)
- “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee,” The Organist’s Library, vol. 54, Gilbert M. Martin, LOR (ME)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “To You, O Lord, I Lift Up My Soul,” George Emlen, SAC, 2 pt, org (E)
- “Throughout These Forty Days,” Robert J. Powell, CON, SATB, org (M)
- “Lord Who Throughout These Forty Days,” Zebulon M. Highben, MSM, SATB, acap (M)
- “A Lenten Prayer,” Hal Hopson, MSM, SATB, hb, pno (E)
- “Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley,” arr. Stanley Thurston, GIA, SATB div, acap (A)
- “Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley,” Kenneth Dake, MSM, SATB, mezzo sop, acap (A)
Handbell Music
- “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go,” Mary Kay Parrish, 3–5 oct, opt hc, ALF, 23781, Level 3
- “Give Me Jesus,” Hart Morris, 3–5 oct, opt hc, BP, HB768, Level 3-
- “I’m Just a Poor Wayfaring Stranger,” Tammy Waldrop, 3–5 oct, opt hc, HOPE, 2343, Level 2-
Art
- Christ in the Wilderness, Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi (VDL)
- Noah and the Dove, Emile Aebischer (VDL)
- Noah’s Ark Icon, Natalia Ermakova (VDL)
- Wilderness and Wings, Jan Richardson (JR)
